Modi raises student visa issue with British President

During the talks with British counterpart David Cameron, PM Narendra Modi has showed concern over a decline in the number of Indian students coming to study in the UK and problems faced by them while applying for visas.

According to a report in Press Trust of India (PTI), Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said, "The Prime Minister raised the issue [of student visas] very strongly. The Prime Minister said that Indian student numbers in the UK has fallen by nearly 50 per cent in the last three years."

"He urged that Indian students are among the best and the brightest in the world and it would be a win-win partnership for both sides. Indians needing a quality education and the UK benefiting from the expertise that Indian students bring," the spokesperson added.

"We are right now in a situation where countries are actually wooing Indian students because India has the biggest education market today. There's a burgeoning middle class, there is an aspirational upper class that wants to educate its kids abroad and it's an opportunity to tap into what has become a big economic market," the Prime Minister said.

When asked to Mr Cameron's about the issue, he said: "There was a lot of understanding and appreciation. This is a matter for continued discussion. I don't think we can close the chapter on this." The number of Indian students coming to the UK fell from 18,535 in 2010-11 to 10,235 in 2012-13.